KARACHI: Federal Minister for Information
Mushahid Hussain has said that the nation is celebrating the security and
self-reliance achievements by our scientists and above all the self-defence.
Mushahid Hussain said this while answering a question - what and why we
are celebrating on May 28 - asked many times and by many.

He was speaking as a chief guest at a hotel
at a seminar on "Pakistan Atomic Power and Its Universal Role",organised by the Adviser to the Prime
Minister on Media and Information, Nusrat Mirza. Federal minister said,"Pakistan is a peace loving country and
wanted a balance of power with its neighbouring countries particularlyIndia."

He said Pakistan from the day of its creation
had been time and again making it clear that "we wanted to livewith honour on the footings of equality
and keen to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with UN resolution".Mushahid said India forced Pakistan into
joining the nuclear race and after Pakistan's nuclear explosion attitudeof India had completely changed towards
us.

"Pakistan has emerged and ensured itself
as a responsible and matured state," Mushahid said recalling howPakistan debated whether to go nuclear
or not for 11 days on print and electronic media as compared to Indiawhere even the defence minister was kept
in dark.

"So at this moment to celebrate the nuclear
performance of Pakistan on May 28 is to share the feelings,emotions and enthusiasms of Pakistanis,"
he added. Mushahid said that though Pakistan was sanctioned andpressurised yet it weathered all storms
with the support of the nation.

"People now say that Pakistan is a failed
state which is totally wrong and they are under some complex,"Mushahid said with great regret. He said
Pakistan is the country, which has never compromised on principlesand national interest. "If at all Pakistan
is a poverty stricken country even after achieving nuclear power thatdoes not mean 'Bay Ghayrat Ho Jaayan',"
Mushahid said amid clapping.

Nusrat Mirza, speaking on the occasion,
lauded the efforts of Pakistan to become a nuclear state and added thatit was now the desire of Pakistan that
to have a permanent memebrship of UN Security Council. He said theworld should be thankful that Pakistan
nipped the evil hegemony designs of India in the bud. Nusrat alsounderlined the need of nuclear membership
of the world.

Other speakers also lauded the nuclear
tests and said that just after the nuclear test the word realised that
if theywanted to keep this region nuclear free
zone then they should resolve the Kashmir issue as early as possible.Those who spoke on the occasion included
Dr Hamida Khuro, Prof Hasnain Kazmi, Prof Mehdi Masood,Mahmoodul Aziz, ex-advisor Mamnoon Hussain,
General (rtd) Lodhi and others.